Self-aligning stuffing box and bearing



Oct. 16, 1934. J, SPALDING 1,977,020

' SELF ALIGNING STUFFlNG BOX AND BEARING Original Fil March 1. 1932Patented Oct. 16, 1934 r 1 977 029 7 SELF-ALIGNING STUFFING Box ANDBEARING 1 John D. Spalding, Los. Angeles, Ca1if., assignor, by mesneassignments, to The National Supe rior Company, Toledo, Ohio,acorporationof Delaware Original application March 1, 1932, Serial No.596,069. Divided and this application July 24, 1933, Serial No. 681,899

3 Claims. (01. 188-264) This application relates to self-aligningstuifprovided for driving the shaft 1 at a plurality of ing boxes andbearings, and more particularly to speeds, whichmeans may be of anysuitable or a stuffing box and bearing structure applicable desirableconstruction" as is well understood in for support of, and for theconduction of fluid the-art and is herein illustrated as including a 5into or from a passage formed in'a rotating shaft. pair of drivesprockets and 11 which are com- 59 This application is a division of mycopending monly driven from sprocket chains of a line shaft application,Serial No. 596,069 filed March 1, 1932, (not shown) but common indrawworks confor Water cooled brake rims for drawworks. struction. t

It is an object of this invention to provide an The sprockets 10 and 11are releasably engaged improved form of self-aligning stuffing box andto the drum shaft l'by means of clutches 12 and 55 bearing structure fora rotating shaft in which 13 when the drum is utilized for hoisting. The

the gland structure is supported from the bearing shaft 1 is journaledin self-aligning roller bearstructure in such a manner as to maintainthe ing units 8 whichconsists of an inner race i8, passages formed inthe shaft and in the gland roller assembly 49, and'an outer race 50.

-structure in axial alignment under operating con- The outer race 50 hasits outer contour formed ditions. i in the shape of a segment of asphere which fits Another object of this invention is to provide withinthe spherical opening in the bearing box a self-aligning stuffing boxand bearing for a to permit alignment of the bearing unit with the,rotating shaft having a port through which fluid shaft. By this meansthe axis of the outer race is adapted to be conducted, which bearing and50 will always coincide with the axis of the 75 stumng box structureincludes a bearing bracket shaftl. p

in which there is mounted a self-aligning bear- "An annularlplate 51fits within a recess at the ing member having a contour in the form ofa. outer end of the race 50 and is preferably spo-t segment of thesphere mounted so as to permit welded to the race as indicated at 52.The plate the bearing member to align itself with respect 51 provides anenclosure for the roller assembly 39 to the axis of the shaft and inwhich structure 4-9 and also a thrust face to fix the axial positionthere is incorporated a stuffing box, the fluid con of the drum shaft 1.The plate 51 is flanged at ducting means of which is supported withrela- 53 for approximately one-half of its circumfertion to the bearingsupport in such a manner as ence to provide a connection for the bracket41' to permit the port through the stuffing box to be which has acomplementary semi-annular flange mounted in alignment with the port orpassage 41a. Bracket 41 is secured to the flange 53 by formed throughthe shaft. means of cap screws 54.

Other objects and advantages of this invention A sleeve of the stufiingbox is secured to it is believed will be apparent from the following thebracket 41 by extending into an opening detailed description of apreferred embodiment formed therein-and by means of a flange collar cathereof as illustrated in the accompanying draw- 55 which is welded tothe sleeve 40. The flanged ins. collar 55 is secured in position bymeans of bolts In the drawing: 56. A gasket 57 is provided formaintaining a Figure 1 is a side elevation in vertical midwater-tightjoint at this connection.

40 section of a portion or fragment of the rotary The rotary packinggland 42 which surrounds drawworks drum and shaft illustrating the samethe sleeve 40 is provided with suitable packing as supported by theself-aligning stuffing box and 58 which is compressed by means of ascrew folbearing structure embodied in my invention. lower 59. Therotary packing gland 42 is se- Figure 2 is a fragmental section on anenlarged cured to the shaft 1 by means of cap screws 60. 5 scale of theself-aligning bearing box and bear- The rotary packing gland 42 has anoutwardly its ing structure as illustrated in Figure 1. projectingflange 61 which projects beyond the Figure 3 is an end elevation of thestructure as periphery of the shaft 1 to form a thrust face illustratedin Figure 1. to fix the axial alignment of the shaft 1 with In thepreferred embodiment of my invenrespect to the stationary thrust faceformed in 50 tion as illustrated in the accompanying drawthe plate 51.

ing, 1 indicates a drum shaft on which a drum A replaceable thrustwasher 62 is interposed 2 is mounted. Brake rims 3 are secured to thebetween the plate 51 and the flange 61 to form drum flanges 4 by anysuitable or desirable a bearing. The outer portion of the bracket 41means. The shaft 1 is journaled in the bearings is connected with theflange portion 41 by means 55 8 which are supported by the posts 9.Means are of connecting arms 63. The shaft 1 is drilled to provide apair of oppositely extending ports 20 and 21 which provide inlet andoutlet passages for the conveying of cooling Water to the interior ofthe brake rims 3 through the connections 22. The ports 20 and. 21communicate with the ports formed through the hollow sleeves 40. At oneend of the shaft 1 the stuffing box is connected with an inlet pipe 23and at the opposite end of the shaft 3 the stuffing box is connectedwith an outlet pipe 24. The inlet and outlet pipes 23 and 24 are securedto the ported brackets 41 to communicate with the hollow sleeves 40through passages 25 formed through the brackets 41.

The inlet pipe 23 is connected to a source of water supply through aflexible hose connection (not shown) and the outlet pipe 24 is alsoconnected through a flexible hose connection to a collecting sump orsupply tank (not shown).

In order to hold the inner race 48 of the bearings stationary withrespect to the shaft 1, spring pressed dowels 65 are provided in theshaft 1 to fit within openings formed in the inner races 48.

In order to provide means for lubricating the bearings 49, a greasefitting 66 is secured in position in the outer ace 50 and access is hadto the grease fitting 66 through an opening 67 normally formed in thebearing bracket 8.

The grease fitting 66 flts loosely within the opening 67 to preventrotation of the outer race 50 and yet permits of a limited movement ofthe race which is incidental to its self-aligning function.

A detachable cover plate 68 fits over the upper portion of the bracket41 to protect the operator against accidental contact with the revolvingstuffing box 42.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood. that I donot'wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my inventionis of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of a drum, a shaftsupporting said drum, said shaft being journaled in self-aligningbearing assemblies at its ends, said bearing assemblies including ahousing, a stationary element within said housing being free to alignits axis with the axis of the shaft, a brake rim mounted on said shaft,a circulatory system within said hoisting apparatus,

means provided at the opposite ends of said shaft for inlet anddischarge connections, said means including a rotary packing glandwithin said shaft ends, a stationary bracket connected with thestationary element of each bearing assembly for supporting a sleeve inaxial alignment with the said shaft and within said packing gland, meansfor supplying a coolant liquid through one bracket to said sleeve andsaid circulatory system, and means for conveying the coolant from saidsystem through the bracket at the discharge end of the shaft.

2. A self-aligning stufiing box and bearing including a bracket having aspherical interior contour, a bearing assembly including an outer memberhaving a complementarily curved surface mounted within the bearingbracket, a shaft supported within the bearing assembly, a stuffing boxbracket secured to the bearing assembly and including a means fordelivering fluid into a port formed in the shaft, and a smiling boxsurrounding the latter said means and secured to the shaft formaintaining a fluid-tight connection between the shaft and the saidfluid conducting means.

3. In combination with a self-aligning stuffing box and bearing, asupporting bracket having a spherical interior contour, a bearmgassembly including a non-rotating or stationary member having acomplementary spherically formed outer surface mounted within thesupporting bracket,

a shaft having a fluid conducting passage sup ported within the bearingassembly, a stuffing box secured to the end of said shaft, said stuffingboxhaving an outwardly extending flange extending beyond the peripheryof the shaft, a complementary inwardly extending flange on thestationary member of the bearing assembly, a renewable thrust bearingmeans between said flanges to axially position the shaft in said bearingassembly, an outwardly extending bracket supported by the non-rotatingportion of said bearing assembly, a fluid conducting sleevenonrotatively secured to said bracket and projecting into the stuiiingbox in communication with the passage in the shaft, packing means withinsaid stuffing box to seal around the sleeve, and conduit meansconnecting with the passage in said sleeve to convey fluid to or awayfrom the shaft.

JOHN D. SPALDING.

